GAZA: “Operation Cloud Pillar”.

In light of Israel’s most recent deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip, I join fellow conscience driven people around the globe in condemning this latest air strikes in Gaza and the major military escalation against the Palestinian enclave.

Whilst in South Africa we can hear fireworks popping in a celebratory atmosphere , Gazans are hearing aerial gunship raids, sirens and bombs falling around them.

Over the years the Israeli regime have repeatedly violated ceasefires in order to provoke the Palestinians into carrying out acts of aggression that Israel can then use to their advantage.

The Israeli military regime claim: “our intention isn’t to harm civilians” but they bomb a densely populated place that they have besieged for many years.

The Gaza strip is a small piece of land and almost two million impoverished Palestinians are crammed into this area.

Every single Israeli incursion or attack on the Gaza enclave is accompanied by the similar storyline that the offensive was a response to unprovoked Hamas rocket attacks. The escalation came after days of Israeli attacks and Palestinian rocket fire into southern parts of Israel.

Claiming that these attacks are an action to stop rocket fire from Gaza is preposterous and disingenuous. It is absolutely misleading to claim self-defence when Israel is the largest and most powerful military force in the region.

While not justifying Palestinians firing rockets on Israel but the Palestinians do not have an alternative to the power and muscle of the United States sponsored Israeli army. Palestinian resistance groups only began launching their home-made rockets after years of Israeli oppression. The number of Israeli’s that have died in rocket attacks from Gaza pales in comparison to the sufferings of the Palestinian people. Many news articles and reports reveal that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is at its worst since Israel seized the territory in 1967.

Moreover, both Hamas and the rockets came many decades after Israel colonized Palestinian land and imposed apartheid style policies.

The escalating bloodshed in Gaza demands an immediate intervention from World leaders.

The crimes of the Israeli defence force far outweigh the most conspicuous crimes carried out at the height of apartheid by the repressive regime in South Africa, which the whole world responded with sanctions, boycotts and isolation eventually obliterating that policy.

Israel is founded on Jewish privileges and the total destruction of the indigenous people to the land. Israel was created over 60 years ago through the violent expulsion of Palestinians from their land in favour of European Jews.

Before the British mandate the Arabs, who where in the majority and owned most of the land, lived happily and in peace, with their Christian and Jewish neighbours. There were no rocket attacks, no suicide bombings, no murders and no fear. A fact which history can attest to.

Let us be clear and unambiguous. The origin of the Palestinian problem is ingrained not in the rockets from Gaza but in 1897, with the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland.

Owing to Israel’s refusal to allow fact finding missions and the independent mass media access to all of Palestine, the horror of Israel’s siege of Gaza and the collective punishment of the Palestinians are basically unknown to the broader global community.

The Palestinian struggle is a legitimate struggle as their land is being illegally occupied; they are being collectively punished and live under the most pathetic conditions in the world.

The occupation of Palestine has been and remains the root of all violence between Israelis and Palestinians. And by extension violence in the world today- the world against Islam.

This latest escalation of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians is unacceptable and the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted at the International Court of Justice.

This crime against humanity and holocaust against Palestinians cannot be allowed to continue and I urge all conscience driven people to support their struggle in a firm and peaceful way. Israel, with its entire military power, will not win the conflict. In reality the Israeli public faces deepening crises.

It is a matter of utmost importance that Israeli’s realize that without recognition of the Palestinians legitimate rights there can be no security, and consequently, no peace and future for them.

The only way towards achieving peace, although unlikely, is for a single democratic state which ensures human rights and equality for its entire population.

Join the conversation!

24.com encourages commentary submitted via MyNews24. Contributions of 200 words or more will be considered for publication.

We reserve editorial discretion to decide what will be published. Read our comments policy for guidelines on contributions.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Saving your profile

Settings

News24 allows you to edit the display of certain components based on a location.
If you wish to personalise the page based on your preferences, please select a
location for each component and click "Submit" in order for the changes to
take affect.

Your Location*

Weather*

Always remember my setting

Saving your settings

Facebook Sign-In

Hi News addict,

Join the News24 Community to be involved in breaking the news.

Log in with Facebook to comment and personalise news, weather and listings.